Tiltable basketball rim and support therefor



Jam. 23, 1968 E. H. MlLLER TILTABLE BASKETBALL RIM AND SUPPORT THEREFOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 6, 1965 ,5. [ca win H. Nelle/- ATIURN .5.

Jan. 23, 1 968 E. H. MILLER 3,365,196

TILTABLE BASKETBALL RIM AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed May 6, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 6' 607 fam'n H. Nil/er Jan. 23, 1968 E. H. MILLER 3,365,196

TILTABLE BASKETBALL RIM AND SUPPORT THEREFQR Filed May 6, 1965 a Sheets-Sheet 5' I: H r I w 729-13. x

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United States Patent 3,365,196 TILTABLE BASKETBALL RIM AND SUPPURT THEREFOR Edwin H. Miller, Box 199 RED. 4, Freehold, NJ. 07723 Filed 11133 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,673 1 Claim. (Cl. Z73-1.5)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISQLUSURE A support for a basketball game basket having a circular metal rim with perforated ears projecting from the rim, a net depending from the rim, the support comprising a U-shaped bracket with flattened end perforated ears, and pivot pins extending through the aligned perforations in the ends and ears, means for fastening the bight portion of the bracket to a vertical supporting surface, and means associated with the ends of the side arms of the bracket for yieldingly holding the rim and net in balanced operative position.

This invention relates generally to exercising, training and entertaining apparatus and more particularly to a basketball basket and the mounting therefor.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a basketball game device intended primarily for play by children and youths although it may be played by adults.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel supporting bracket for a basketball basket by which the basket may be readily and tiltably hung in place for use in playing the game.

A further object is to provide a device of this character suitable for the use of small children of varying age levels and sizes for example, from kindergarten through the third grade.

Yet a further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

For further comprehension of the invention and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basketball basket and mounting embodying one form of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof on a reduced scale.

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof showing a basketball tilting the basket.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the bracket and rim of a modified form of basket, showing various tilted positions of the rim in dash lines.

FIG. 5 is a spread perspective fragmentary view of the parts forming the joints between the rim and bracket of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a basketball basket and mounting embodying a second modified form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a basketball basket and bracket therefor embodying a third modified form of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a bracket and rim or" a basket embodying a fourth modified form of the invention, the rim being shown tilted in dash lines.

Patented Jan. 23, 1968 FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a basketball basket embodying a fifth modified form of the invention, the basket net being omitted.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a basketball basket and bracket shown mounted on a backboard embodying a sixth modified form of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a basketball basket and mounting therefor embodying a seventh modified form of the invention.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a basketball basket and mounting therefor embodying an eighth modified form of the invention.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken on the line 16-46 of FIG. 15.

Referring now more in detail to the various forms of the drawings, a basketball game basket assembly is shown and designated generally at 10. The assembly consists of a basket 12 and a supporting bracket 14 therefor. The basket comprises a round steel rim in the form of a ring 16 and a tapered set 18 of cord in the form of an invetted frustum of a cone open at its top and bottom and secured to the rim by means of spaced metal rims 20 and depending from the rim. Opposed perforate-d upstanding ears 22, 22 are formed integrally with the rim.

The basket 12 is pivotally and tiltably mounted on bracket 14 which is fastened to a vertical support such as a backboard 25, which is suitably secured to a wall or the like. The bracket 14 is formed of a round heavy steel rod having a U-shaped body, the bight portion 26 of which has spaced perforated metal plates 23 welded thereto for attaching the bracket to the backboard as is customary. The side arms 30, 30 of the bracket are curved and flattened at their outer free ends as indicated at 32 and are formed with perforations 34 to receive pivot pins 36 inserted through the perforations in the ears 22. The basket 12 is thus tiltably and swingably mounted on the bracket 14, with the rim 16 of the basket disposed on a plane above the plane of the side arms 30, 30 of the bracket 14.

in use, when the back of the rim 16 of the basket 12 is hit by a basketball 38 as shown in FIG. 3, the basket 12 will readily tilt in a counterclockwise direction permitting the ball to fall into and through the basket.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, a modified form of joint between the rim 16' and each arm 30 of the bracket is shown. In this form, the perforated ear 22' extends downwardly from the rim 16' instead of upwardly as in FIG. 1. A split rubber sleeve 40 is sleeved around the ear and perforated end 32 of the arm 30', The sleeve protects the players hand from injury by the exposed joint but permits limited tilting movement of the rim as shown by the arrows in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 illustrates another modified form of joint between the side arms 39" of the bracket and the rim 16" of the basket 12". In this form of joint, a threaded bo t 36" extends from the rim and extends through the threaded perforation in the flattened end 32" of the arm 30". A wing nut 42 is threaded on the protruding end of the bolt whereby the basket is held in a balanced upright position.

In the modified form of basketball game basket assembly 10" shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, an auxiliary rim 44 is attached to the main rim 16" in spaced relation thereabove by means of elongated pins 46 depending therefrom and extending through holes 48 in the main rim. Compression springs 50 are sleeved over the pins between the rims in order to yieldingly hold the auxiliary rim in spaced relation. The pin and spring assemblies tend to hold the basket in balanced upright position.

Another modified form of basket assembly a with a joint between the bracket 14a and the rim 16a is shown in FIG. 9, which joint is somewhat similar to the joint shown in FIG. 4 except that the depending ears 22a on the rim 16a are extended downwardly as indicated at 52 and are provided with plates 54 at the bottom ends thereof. The extensions and plates serve as weights for holding the basket in balanced upright position, permitting slight tilting movement of the basket as seen in dash lines.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, another modified form of basketball game basket assembly 19cm is shown. In this assembly, the sides arms 301m of the bracket 14ml terminate in rectangular shaped plate formations 56 with spaced holes 58, for attachment to a tapered flat hollow sleeve 60.

The rim 16ml of the basket 1211a is formed with opposed depending elongated rectangular bars 62 depending through the top narrow end of the sleeves and are pivotally connected to the top of the sleeves by pivot pins 64 extending through aligned holes in the bars and sleeves adjacent the tops of the sleeves. By reason of this construction, the rim 16cm is adapted to tilt in the directions of the arrows 66, and the bars and sleeves tend to hold the basket in a normal upright position. Set screws 67 may be provided to hold the rim against tilting.

FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate still another modified form of basketball game basket assembly 10x embodying the essence of the invention. The assembly 10x comprises a basket 12x and a bracket 14x. The basket 12x is similar to basket 12 of FIG. 1. The bracket 14x however differs from bracket 14 of FIG. 1 in that the body instead of a being U-shaped is formed with an ancuate shaped body 70 with an elongated round rod 72 extending downwardly at right angles to the body from the midcenter thereof as viewed in FIG. 13. The rod 72 is detachably fastened to the backboard 25x by means of a metal strap 74 nailed to the backboard 252: and having a central bulged out portion 76 through which set screws 78 engage the rod and hold it in place. The ends of the curved body are fiattened and perforated as indicated at 80' and engage over the depending perforated ears 22x on the rim 16x, pivot pins not shown connecting the ears and flattened ends. Sleeves 40x encircle the joints between the rim and bracket body. The basket 12x readily tilts when the rim is struck by a basketball.

The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 14 and designated 1020: is for very young children only and differs from the assembly 10x of FIG. 12 in that in place of a strap 74 for fastening the assembly to a backboard, a device 80 for adjustable supporting the assembly in upright position in the ground is shown. The device 80 is constituted by a metal cylindrical tubular member 82 open at one end and plugged and pointed at the other end as indicated at 84. A pair of opposed fins 86 are formed on the body of the tubular member adjacent the pointed end thereof for keeping the tubular member true when driving it into the ground and for holding the tubular member in the ground when driven home.

In use the elongated rod 72xx of the bracket 14x2: is inserted through the open end of the tubular member 82 and is releasably held therein by spaced set screws 76xx extending through holes in the tubular member adjacent its open end and contacting the rod 72xx. The basket 12xx can be moved up and down and fastened in moved position by the screws.

The final embodiment of the invention is shown in the basketball game basket assembly 10xxx shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 wherein the basket 12xxx comprises a ring 16xxx and depending net ISxxx. The ring is supported by two arms 90 welded to the ring 16xxx and with feet 94 at the other end nailed to the backboard 25xxx. A substantially rectangular plate 96 is welded to the periphery of the ring 16xxx along the one long curved edge thereof ill at a point intermediate the arms 9%, extending laterally of the ring.

A perforated lug 98 is instruck out of the other long side of the plate, leaving a notch 100 at said long side. Formed on said other long side, on both sides of the notch 10%, there are two perforated fingers 102 with perforations 104 to receive fastening elements for fasten ing the plate to the backboard 25xxx, An elongated narrow ilat rectangular shaped plate 166 extends downwardly through the notch 100, the notch being wider than the width of the plate 106 and is held in moved position by a set screw 108 extending through the perforation in lug 98. On the outer protruding end of the plate 106, there is a circular pad 110 secured thereto by adhesive or other suitable manner. The pad is wider than the plate and protrudes on both sides thereof. The plate with pad may be tilted sidewise as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 15 for adjusting the position thereof. The pad serves as a rebound device adapted to be struck by the basketball when it misses the basket whereupon the ball bounces backwardly at various angles. The pad may be adjusted laterally so that it will deflect the ball, imparting the trajectory to it which is radially disposed with respect to the pad and cause the ball to be directed on a single bounce to enable children arranged in a semicircle around the basket at the desired distance. The pad is adapted to be adjusted vertically to the exact height to direct the ball on a single controlled bounce to the exact radius of the semicircle desired.

The rebound pad or device may be of any material, size or shape that will effect the desired deflection of the ball in any direction. The rebound device may be used on the stationary type basket as well as the tiltable basket or any game thereof employing said theory.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

1. A support for a basketball basket including a rim with depending perforated ears and a net, said support comprising a U-shaped bracket of round rod-like material, the ends of the side arms of the bracket being curved, flattened and perforated, the perforations in the ends being aligned with the perforations in the ears of the rim, pivot pins extending through the aligned perforations, perforated mounting plates spaced along the bight portion of the bracket for receiving fastening elements for fastening the bracket to a vertical support, and split rubber sleeves sleeved around the ears of the rim and flattened ends of the side arms.

References Cited ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

F. BARRY SHAY, Examiner.

S. NATTER, Assistant Examiner. 

